Unexpected

Gabby the Wild Child

By Friday, I pray that the insufferable amount of perfume in the girl's locker room isn't giving me a form of lung cancer. Although the week has gone by fairly smoothly, the girls in gym don't seem to be very fond of me. Being unfamiliar to them may be part of the reason for their distance, but I wouldn't be surprised if it had to do with my closeness to the guys. If they see me as a threat, they're doing a good job taking me out of the picture with the sheer amount of chemicals being sprayed in the air each day.

I'm grateful that Robert, Zach, and even Austin have this period with me so that I'm not stuck trying to appease the walking Bath and Body Works factories. Although when the boys and girls are inevitably split from time to time, I may find myself on my own.

Each day, I play a little basketball with the three boys, thinking it to be better than the alternative of awkwardly watching on the side or attempting to do something on my own. They prove to be fairly competitive, with basketball in particular. This shouldn't come to a surprise to me, since Austin was on the team at some point and I get the impression they all play together in Alex's driveway.

The Miami humidity combined with my attempts at basketball with three much larger and active guys causes my clothes to cling to me in damp patches. My hair is beginning to stick to the back of my neck and I curse myself for leaving my hair ties on the bathroom counter this morning. Lucky for me, and certainly lucky for the now drenched boys with me on the court, gym is our last period of the day.

I mumble something in passing about going to sit down to the guys deep in the heat of a game, none of them taking much notice since I've slowly tapered off in my usefulness as a team member. I kept up with them for long enough, I reason with myself. When I've sat down in a shady spot at the edge of the court and have begun collecting my hair to one side, I hear shouts and glance up to see Zach jogging my way. The two boys behind him are shouting for him to come back and finish the game, but he just grins when he sees that I've noticed him coming towards me.

He collapses next to me, chest heaving up and down as he smiles contently at me.

"What about your game?" I ask, nodding to where the boys are watching Zach and I. Austin in particular stares hard at us, squinting through the bright sunlight that's beating down on the concrete court.

"Ah, they'll be fine. I'm tired." Zach states, waving them off and turning his attention back to me. I give him a strange look, then shrug.

Each day looks the same as the last, wherein I'll tap out mid-game and Zach will join me in the shade despite the other boys' protests. Robert stopped caring as much after the first few days, but Austin continues to give Zach a hard time even though they'd be at an odd number of players with me gone. Austin plays it off like he's ruffled by Zach's lack of sportsmanship, but I more than suspect that what's really bothering him is that Zach and I are getting along significantly better than him and I are.

This past week's classes with Austin has consisted of him slowly but surely retreating into himself, eventually becoming a lack luster version of himself that's quiet, unsure, and most notably- frustrated. He still attempts conversation, because who would he be without his efforts, but it typically remains one-sided and comes off as sporadic and awkward. Turns out, without the ability to flirt Austin doesn't appear to know how to talk to girls.

I'd gladly take this stumped version of Austin over the boisterous one from before. I'd be more content with letting him unravel as I go about how I normally do, but things have become tense. I know the group can sense it, and although it hasn't been brought up I'm almost certain they're aware it's because of me. I can't imagine it's getting to him too bad, since he's still lively with the group when he's not in a mood and can be seen under the bleachers with a different girl for each day of the week.

Zach's nails still hold their color in an impressive amount by the fifth day. He's holding my hand, turning it over to examine how much mine have chipped when Austin suddenly appears in front of us.

"Have you told Gabby about Alex's yet?" Zach drops my hand, huffing in response to Austin's question.

"What's going on at Alex's? I figured we were doing the usual." By "the usual" I mean play videogames and copy off each other's homework until we're summoned home for dinner.

Austin grins and tucks the basketball under a sweaty arm. A sweaty arm that's accompanied by a bare sweaty torso. By now I've made a habit out of avoiding looking at him altogether when we're outside for gym, because whether I'd ever admit it out loud or not the guy is absolutely ripped. It has less to do with Austin and more to do with abs just being too easy to look at. I'd never give Austin the satisfaction, nor would I want his head actually exploding from getting too big.

I realize a second too late that I've more than glanced at his body while thinking all this, and Austin's much too invested in getting my attention to miss it. The corner of his mouth quirks up in a subtle satisfied smile and I want nothing more than to beat my head into the concrete below us. I turn my attention back to Zach, the tips of my ears burning in embarrassment.

"Alex's parents will be out tonight because of some conference, and I got my brother to get us some booze. You in?" Zach asks with raised eyebrows. I completely forget my slip up, instead growing excited at the idea of witnessing these idiots get intoxicated.

"Oh I'm down to clown alright. Will Sarah be joining us?" I ask, grinning back at Zach.

"Alex's parents won't be home all night, so most definitely." Austin says suggestively. I snort, still avoiding looking his way.

"I'd offer to invite Nicole, but she's the good one out of the two of us. We have a sort of "don't ask, don't tell" policy going, so she can claim innocence should my mom ever find something out."

"A policy and everything? Why, Gabby, you must be participating in very scandalous activities. Are you the family's wild child?" Zach drops his jaw and delicately holds his hand to his chest in mock offense.

"Shut up." I roll my eyes, smiling. "No, but actually I should probably give you guys a heads up about my tolerance. Don't try to keep up, you'll get sick."

Zach drops the act, looking at me now with an uncertain look. I glance to Austin who's looking at me with a similar expression.

"I'm being serious."

"But you're like, tiny." Zach says, motioning to me.

"I know that-"

"No, but like, tiny. What are you, 5'2"?"

I sigh. "And a half. Don't try to prove something, you will get sick. I'll bring some of my own stuff."

Zach laughs, shaking his head at me. "Damn, girl. You are just full of surprises."

AN: Oh YUH I am so ready to write these next few chapters, it's gon be spiicyyyy